Gravel & Adventure Bike Expo attracts 5,000 visitors

The inaugural Gravel & Adventure Bike Expo concluded on the second weekend of January, with more than 5,000 visitors and 120 exhibitors attending.

The event joined the Adventure Travel Show, a UK event for off-the-beaten-track travel, for the first time. Brands exhibited their latest bikes and equipment, alongside a number of adventure travel operators offering visitors two-wheeled adventure options around the globe.

“The Expo ran alongside the Adventure Travel Show, and I felt this meant attendees were well aligned; people were in ‘planning mode’ and we enjoyed many excellent conversations,” said Clare Dewey, founder of Epic Road Rides.

Exhibitors at the Gravel & Adventure Bike Expo included Surly, Schwalbe, Teravail, Old Man Mountain, Fidlock, Kinesis, Seasucker, Farr, Vielo, Guava, Brooks, Mason Cycles and Reilly, as well as cycle travel specialists Italy Bike Hotels, Red Dirt Uganda, TransAtlanticWay, GravelUp, Sondor, Sloways and BicycleWanders.

“We came to the show as we were keen to meet people planning the kinds of adventures our bikes are designed for – maybe a slightly different crowd than at a usual cycle trade show,” said Clive Andrews from Mason’s marketing and communications. “We enjoyed hearing from a wide range of riders, from those new to adventure riding through to experienced explorers.”

The show also featured adventure and endurance cyclists who shared stories and advice from the road. Guests included Molly Weaver, Angèle Paty, Markus Stitz, Duncan Covey and Mark Beaumont, with the latter also recording a number of episodes of his Endurance Podcast live during the weekend.

“The show had a great buzz and a very engaged audience over the two days. A mixture of people who already knew the brands, and another demographic whose interest in different types of slow travel meant adventure cycling ticks a box for them too,” said Chris Holman, event director.